He didn’t look away from the screen.
“For telling the truth?”
“You humiliated him.”
“He embarrassed himself.”
I slammed a plate into the sink harder than I meant to.
“He’s my son.”
“And he’s 18 now. Maybe it’s time someone stopped treating him like a child.”
I wiped my hands on a towel and walked upstairs.
Andrew’s bedroom door was open, the room empty. I figured he was taking his time, clearing his head.
Then I saw the note on his bed.
“Mom,”
“I love you more than anyone in this world, but I can’t keep living like this. Please don’t look for me.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Andrew.”
I remember screaming.
Marcus came running upstairs, pretending to be just as shocked as I was. For the next few weeks, he played the role of the worried stepfather perfectly.
He drove me to the police station, printed missing-person flyers, and even joined me when I walked through parks, hoping I’d catch a glimpse of my son.
